Integrated Waste Management for Improved Livelihoods (INWAMI) Project

This activity aims to establish an integrated waste management system to improve livelihoods in Kisumu County, Kenya. Improved waste management can create jobs and income opportunities for poor youth and women living within informal settlements, thus helping vulnerable populations adapt to and mitigate climate change.

Fast facts:

80% of the 400 tonnes of solid waste generated in Kisumu City not managed;
Project aims to establish at least 8 functional waste collection satellite sites;
Aims to identify at least 2 markets for processed and unprocessed solid waste;
Aims to target 5,000 youth and 5,000 women in Kisumu City.

The problem

The generation of solid waste in Kisumu City, Kenya, has been on the rise, due to population growth, poor institutional capacity, mismanagement of funds, and other issues. Waste-related problems in Kisumu City focus mainly on end-of-pipe solutions rather than on preventive measures and integrated approaches. For example, the majority of residents do not separate waste at the household level, while burning waste in open fields is the common practice of disposal. Unfortunately, it is urban poor households – who live and work near waste disposal sites – that are most at risk, sometimes suffering acute health impacts.

The solution

The purpose of this project is to establish an integrated waste management system that also improves livelihoods in Kisumu County. Recycling can open many opportunities not only for reducing waste, but also for gaining new value from it. To this end, new technologies in waste management and recycling are planned for neighborhoods of Kisumu City by the end of 2016. In addition, the project plans to advocate for a strong integrated waste management policy by lobbying decision-makers through the county government assembly.

Helping the planet

Reducing waste and managing it properly prevents leachate from contaminating soil and water. Likewise, this averts the open burning of waste that causes air pollution, including greenhouse gases. Recycling materials from waste prevents depletion of virgin raw materials, which minimizes resource extraction in Kisumu and in Kenya at large.

Helping people

Informal settlements with less exposure to haphazard waste disposal experience reduced infection and illnesses. Turning waste into high-value, marketable products creates employment for youths and women living below the poverty line. Developing innovative technologies and other socioeconomic interventions will improve the livelihood of residents in Kisumu. All of this increases the potential for the communities to be disaster resistant.

Scaling up

It is hoped that a large range of industry and other players from Africa, other emerging countries, and across the world will be ultimately involved in this work. Developing a community of knowledge would facilitate rollout in other jurisdictions and cities. Project partners will continue searching for relevant local, national, and international institutions for support. Nonprofit partners may also seek funding from government agencies supporting projects targeting developing countries.